Improvement in crutches



GEORGE T. .ALLAMBY AND JOHN G.- I BUGBEE, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

vnuPrior/EMlez-nr IN cueros-ies.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5l ,677; dated December2b, 1365.

- To all whom t 'may concern .'a. l

Be it known that we. GEORGE T. ALLAMBY and J oHN G. BUGBEE, of Bangor,in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have in 1 vented a newand useful Improvement, in Orutches; and we'do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and' exact descripltion of the constructionand operation of the saine, reference being had to the accompanymakinga. part of this specicaing drawings, tion, in Which- Figure 1 isaperspective with the spur withdrawn. Fig. 2 is a'longitudiuai sectiontaken .in the linea' a', Fig. 1and Fig. 'is a perspective view with thespur extended.

This invention relates to. an improvement on crutchesand canes forwhichLetters Patent were grantedlo us, dated April 18, 1865.

The within-described invention consists in applying an elastic buffer orpad to a metallic crutch-foot provided witli'an adjustable or slidingbuffer,

and is'actuated bymechanism incased in the crutch-foot, whereby thecrutch can be instantly changed from a :tharppointed anti-I slippingcrutch toa cushioned crutch, which -is'harniless upon floors o rcarpetsg' also,in i'nsertinga sliding tube in the socket. A

A'is a metal socket or tube. A Bis the lower-part of the crutch staffl.or rod, which is fitted into andvtirinly secured in the upper part ofsocket A, which isenlargcd atv Q this part to receive the crutch', asshown inl Fig. 2.

C is a spur-spike, inclosed and sliding'gin socket A. This spur isformed with a head or thicker part, c.

c is a short thin tube, which fits in socket A below crutch B. Thehead cof spur C is titted in this tube pla-ined.

I) is a knob, which passes through a perfora-l tion in tube c, and istirinlylstenedin spurt). 'Eis a hook-shaped slot-eut inthe sheliofsocket A. 'This slot has a short arm, g, (shown in Fig. 1,)a-nd a longarm, g', (shown in Figi) a is a `spiral spring, through which passes thesuiallerpart of spur C. The lower end ot' this spring bears against theshoulder formed in socket A by the thicker part b', and the upper partbears against the head of spur C.

D is an elastic rubber buer or pad, formed with an aperture, a', passingyertically through jits center. Arian-d, at the bottom of socket A,receives .and holds the buffer in place.

spur, which passes down through thev .thus preventing an y the interiorof socket A and obstructing the tubec, thus having for purposeshereinafter ex-- i This rim is slightly contracted at its orifice,

and increasesits vinterior size from -the edge of the rim inward. Thus,by'compressing the rubber when inserting it; and allowing it to expandin the rim, it is securely heldin place.

When thespur C is used it is slid downward v through the 'apei ture a inthe buffer G.y When it is 'desired to use the crutch upon ice or other'slippery surfaces, the knobb is forced down into the short arm got'`slot E, as

shown in Fig. 3, where it is-held by the press` ure offspring a uponspur C, the

ing a suiicient distance th rough the buffer to gire atirin hold tov thecrutch. `NVhen used upon iloors or carpets faces.' the knob bis turnedfreefrom arm g of slot E, when the G. andthe knob b rests in the longarm -g of slot E .and the rubber D forms Athe bearing upon' which thecrutch rests, as shown' in Fig. l. The tubec, iitting closelyaround knobb and sliding with spur: O, serves to close slot E, substance fromentering workingot' the part inclosed therein. The rodor crutch B hasits lower `terminationabove no connection with the mechanisml containedin socket A.

By thus combining the Vbuffer D with the adjustable spur O the usercaninstantly, by actuating knob l, ch/ange his crutch from u.'sharppointed to a cushioned one, andvice versa, and this withoutreversing or raisingit, for the knob b may be actuated by bringingit incontact with any projecting object.

Having thus described our intention', what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is`

1. The combination f the buierD with the adjustable spur O, inserted ina socket, A, placed on the lower part ot' a crutch, the spur C 'beingprovided with a spring, a, and knob b, the knob extending" through aslot',E, in

the socketA, all arranged to operate substan- -tiaily as and for thepurposes specitied.

,2. -The sliding ltube c, in combination with socket A, spurC, spring a,slot E, andknob by vwhen arranged to operate substantially as and lfonthe purposes specified.

GEO. T. ALLAMBY. -JOHN G. BUGBEE. -Witnesses l I a T. W. PORTER, H. L. BIIICHELL.

spur projeetf or impenetrable sur spring a throws up the spur

